[Obscure book filter] Anyone remember a book about a grandfather hired to make a notebook to teach someone's daughter about the world, but he secretly makes two copies?

My sister remembers a book from her childhood. A grandfather is hired to make a notebook or book or computer (she can't remember) for a little girl to teach her about the world. He makes an extra copy to give to his granddaughter.

I know this is vague, but we've tried looking on Google and can't find anything. She insists it exists.

Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle also includes a secretly-copied book passed down to descendants -- at least spiritual granddaughters, since the literal granddaughter in the book is more of a side-helper -- and then there's Cryptonomicon which alludes to the entire practice throughout. Stephenson seems to like this trope, so perhaps he borrowed it from a childhood book he remembered, himself?

I was also reminded a bit of William Gibson's Sandbenders, but it doesn't fit as well.posted by rokusan at 3:58 PM on November 23, 2009

So it does exist! And it only took a minute to find out. Thank you everyone for your amazing response time!posted by BusyBusyBusy at 4:10 PM on November 23, 2009

Nor would this be from your sister's childhood, unless your sister is 12.posted by odinsdream at 4:54 PM on November 23, 2009

odinsdream, it was published in 1995, so a precocious, say, 10-year-old who read it when it came out would be 24 now.posted by fermion at 5:04 PM on November 23, 2009

If for some reason it turns out that it's not The Diamond Age, I was coming in to suggest Sophie's World, which is a great book about the history of philosophy that involves the main character (Sophie) receiving copies of philosophy lessons that are intended for another girl named Hilde.

But it sounds like it's probably The Diamond Age.posted by cider at 5:51 PM on November 23, 2009

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